gynandrium
|gy-nan-dri-um|
/ˌɡaɪˈnæn.dri.əm/
fused male and female parts
Etymology
'gynandrium' originates from New Latin (modern botanical Latin), specifically formed from Greek elements 'gynē' meaning 'female' and 'anḗr, andros' meaning 'male', with the neuter suffix '-ion' (Latinized as '-ium').
'gynandrium' was coined in New Latin as a compound of Greek roots describing combined female and male parts; it was adopted into English botanical usage from modern scientific Latin/Greek formations in the 19th century.
Initially coined to denote a structure combining female and male reproductive parts, the term has retained that technical botanical meaning and is still used to describe fused or combined androecial and gynoecial structures (for example, the orchid column).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
in botany, a structure in a flower in which male (stamens) and female (pistil) reproductive organs are fused or closely united into a single column or unit.
The gynandrium of many orchid species forms a central column that bears both the stamens and the pistil.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a term (especially in descriptive botany) used for organs or structures that exhibit both male and female reproductive attributes or are composed of both androecial and gynoecial parts.
Botanists described the flower's unusual gynandrium as having fused anthers and a single pistil.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/28 06:01